Work supporting cradle for grinding machines



Get. 11, 1949.

3 Sheets-Sheet l w INVENTOR Q \411 ikA/vc/sRHc'AL ATTORNEYS F. P. HEALY 2,484,708 7 WORK SUPPORTING CRADLE FOR GRINDING MACHINES I Filed April 16, 1948 BY W 7%,

F. P. HEALY WORK SUPPORTING CRADLE FOR GRINDING MACHINES Filed April 16, 1948 Oct. 11, 1949.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS F. P. HEALY WORK SUPPORTING CRADLE FOR GRINDING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 11, 1949.

Filed April 16, 1948 59 1/ 1?? 39 Q. l 1 i r PR 53 1 26 g 25 5,; 5/ Y 49 INVENTOR fkA/vclsfi'flzmy ATTORNEYS grinding wheel.

Patented Oct. 11, 1949 WORK SUPPORTING CRADLE FOR GRINDING MACHINES Francis P. Healy, Springfield, Mass, assignor to Van Norman Company, Springfield,- Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 16, 1948, Serial No. 21,517

.6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved means for supporting cylinder heads, blocks and manifolds of engines, and similar work pieces during grinding or resurfacing.

One object of the invention is to provide a structure permitting the block or other work piece to be assembled in the work holder with greater ease and facility than in prior devices for the purpose. Another object is to provide a. wide range of adjustment in the securing means for holding the block or other work piece in the support so as to secure a better balancing of the work piece relative to the support. A further object is to increase the facility with which the work maybe inspected. Other and further objects will be made apparent in the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a grinding machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view substantially on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the cradle rotated to permit inspection of the work;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view substantially on line '5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view substantially on line 6-6 of'Fig, 3;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but illustrating an extreme adjustment of one of the holding means;

Fig. 8 is a detaii plan view showing an alternative manner of securing the work piece in the cradle;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view substantially on line 9--8 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 a sectional detail view illustrating another manner of securing the work piece.

Referring to the drawing l designates the base frame of a grinding machine supporting a centrally positioned surface grinding wheel I l mounted on a vertical shaft l2 and driven from a motor l3 by a belt 14. A cradle supporting frame, generally indicated at is mounted, on suitable ways i6 for reciprocable movement over the grinding wheel by means of a rack I! engaging a pinion l8, power driven in any suitable manner, not shown. Conventional controls generally indicated at I9 are provided for controlling the travel of the cradle frame, and of the rotation and vertical adjustment of the .versely of the cradle side members.

The frame [5 comprises side members 20 and 2| and end members 22 the latter being formed with trunnion bearings 23.

Mounted within the frame 15 is the cradle, generally indicated at .24, which comprises side members 25-26 and end members 21, the latter carrying trunnions 28 rotatably engaging in the bearings 23. The axis of rotation of the trunnions extends longitudinally in the direction of reciprocation of the frame on a line vertically above and spaced from the face of the grinding wheel and substantially parallel to the surface of the loading platform later described. One of the trunnions is extended outward beyond its bearing and is provided with a worm gear 29 engaging a worm shaft 30 for rotating the cradle in its bearings by means of a crank handle 3| secured to the shaft 30.

As shown in Fig. 3 the side member 26 of the cradle extends over the side member 2| which carries an adjustable stop screw 32 which by its engagement with side member 26 defines the operative or grinding position of the cradle. Side member 2| is provided with a suitable latch 33 which releasably engages the top surface of member v26 to hold the cradle against stop 32. Side member 25 of the cradle is spaced inwardly from side member 20 of the frame sufliciently to permit member 25 to swing downwardly below member 20.

The side members 25 and 26 are formed with longitudinally extending undercut grooves 34 slidably receiving the heads of bolts 35. A pair of arched bridge members 36 are mounted trans- The ends of the bridge members are formed with open ended slots, as at 3 1, to receive the bolts 35, and nuts 38 threaded on the upper ends of bolts clamp the bridge members to the side members 25-26 in any desired position longitudinally of the cradle. As shown in Fig. .8 the length of the slots 3'! permit the bridge members to be canted slightly as needed relative to the cradle side members.

Each bridge member is formed with, an opening 3.9. above which. is secured a clamp member 4.0 by means of machine bolts Al. The bolts 4| extend through slots 42 in clamp member permitting the latter to be adjusted transversely of the opening 39. in the bridge member. Clamp member 40 is recessed at 43 (Fig. 6) and formed with a spherical surface 44. Fitted in the recess. 43 is a. member 45 formed with a complementary spherical surface .46. Positioned between the surfaces 45 and 4.6 is a split collar 4.],

l dotted lines in Fig. 2.

- movements." spaced above the loading platform so that the having an outer spherical surface 48, through which extends a rod 49. The member 45 is held to the member 40 by screws 50, and as will be apparent the rod 49 can be adjusted axially in the collar and the collar and rod angularly adclamp the plate members 5| in desired position on the rods. The plate members are provided with variously placed holes and slots 54.

To one side of grinding wheel H is positioned a loading platform generally indicated at 55,

preferably formed of rib members 55 carried by cross members 51 supported by the main frame.

To secure the work piece such as an engine block indicated at 51 in broken lines in the various figures, the cradle frame is reciprocated to a position over the loading platform as indicated in The work piece is then placed on platform 55 within the confines of the cradle and with the surface to be ground resting on the surface of the platform. Work pieces such as engine blocks are formed with numerous openings such as those provided for water connections,

cam shafts and the like. By loosening nuts 38 the bridge members 36 are brought adjacent the "ends of the work piece and secured in place on the side members 25 and 25 by tightening the nuts 38. With bolts 4| loosened in slots 42, spherical collar 41 loosened in the clamping members '40-45 and plates 5| loosened on rods 49 each plate can be moved over the adjacent surface of the end of the work piece until at least two of the openings 54 in the plate are brought into coincidence with openings in the work piece so that bolts 58 (Figs. 3, 4 and 7') may be passed through the coinciding openings to secure the plates 5| to the ends of the work piece. The movements of the plates can take place through movement of clamp members 40 on the bridge member, through pivotal movement of the collars 41 in the clamp members 40 -45, through axial movement of rods 49 in the collars 41 or through axial or rotative movement of the lugs 52 on the rods, or any convenient combination of such The cradle frame and cradle are work piece when clamped in the cradle extends below the frame and cradle as is apparent from Figs. 3 and 7, thus distributing the weight above and below the axis of the trunnions. Once the plates 5| aresecured to the work piece the work piece may be substantially centered transversely of the cradle by transverse adjustment of the members 4!) on the bridge members or by adjustment of the bridge members on the cradle or by a combination of the two adjustments. The various nuts, screws and bolts, as have been loosened to achieve the needed freedom of movement of the plates in finding their securing position and the adjustment of the block in the cradle, are tightened thereby securing the work piece rigidly in the cradle.

The grinding wheel is adjusted vertically relative to platform 55 and the surface of the work piece resting thereon to give the depth of grinding cut desired. The cradle frame is then reciprocated to the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and. 2, thereby carrying the work piece over the grinding wheel in grinding relation therewith.

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In the position of Figs. 1 and 2 latch 33 may be released and the cradle with the work piece rotated in the trunnion bearings 23 as shown in Fig. 4, by means of crank 3|, to bring the ground surface of the work piece into position for inspection.

The work piece may be carried back and forth over the grinding wheel as many times as necessary and with such adjustments of the grinding wheel as the intervening inspections may show to be desirable.

In cases where the openings in the block or other work piece are on the upper surface instead of the ends, one member of a perforated angle plate 58 (Figs. 8, 9 and 10) may be bolted to plates 5| by bolts 59, the other member being bolted to the upper face of the work plate as by bolts 50. All of the adjustments previously described are available to bring the perforations of the plates 53 into coincidence with suitable openings in the work piece, and to generally center the work in the cradle.

What I claim is:

1. In a surface grinding machine having a rotatable grinding wheel, a loading platform at one side thereof, a work carriage reciprocable over the loading platform and grinding wheel, said carriage including a rigid cradle frame'having side and end members, a work supporting cradle, having side and end members, mounted in said frame for rotary movement about a longitudinal axis thereof when the frame is positioned at that side of the grinding wheel opposite the loading platform, one side member of the cradle overlying the adjacent side member of the cradle frame in the operative position of the cradle, the opposite side member of the cradle being spaced inwardly from the adjacent side member of the frame, and means carried by the side members of the cradle for releasably clamping a work piece, resting on the platform, to the cradle.

2. In a surface grinding machine having a rotatable grinding wheel, a loading platform at one side thereof, a work carriage reciprocable over the loading platform and grinding wheel, said carriage including a rigid cradle frame having side and end members of said frame, on a horizontal axis extending in the direction of movement of the carriage and passing through the axis of rotation of the grinding wheel, a work supporting cradle, having side and end members, mounted in said frame the end members of the cradle carrying trunnions rotatably engaging in said trunnion bearings, one side member of the cradle overlying the adjacent side member of the cradle frame in the operative position of the cradle, means to releasably clamp said overlying cradle and frame members together, the opposite side member of the cradle being spaced inwardly from the side member of the frame adjacent thereto to permit that side of the cradle to swing downwardly below the plane of the Workin surface of the grinding wheel when the frame is positioned at that side of the wheelopposite the loading platform, and means carried by the side members of the cradle for releasably clamping a work piece, resting on the platform, to the cradle.

3. In a surface grinding machine having rotatable grinding wheel, a loading platform at one side thereof, a work carriage reciprocable over the loading platform and grinding wheel, said carriage including a rigid cradle frame having side and end members spaced above the loading platform, a work supporting cradle, having side and end members, mounted in said frame for rotation about a horizontal axis extending in the direction of movement of the carriage substantially parallel to and spaced above the surface of the loading platform and intersecting the axis of rotation of the grinding wheel substantially at right angles, and means carried by the side members of the cradle for releasably clamping a work piece, resting on the platform, to the cradle.

4. In a surface grinding machine having a rotatable grinding Wheel, a loading platform at one side of said wheel, a work carriage reciprocable over the loading platform and grinding wheel, said carriage including a rigid cradle frame having side and end members spaced above the loading platform, a work supporting cradle, having side and end members, mounted in said frame for rotation about a horizontal axis extending in the direction of movement of the carriage across the central portion of the grinding wheel substantially parallel to and spaced above the surface of the loading platform, and means carried by the cradle side members for releasably clamping a work piece, resting on the loading platform within the confines of the cradle, to the cradle to be carried across the face of the grinding Wheel upon reciprocation of the carriage, said means being adjustable both longitudinally and transversely of the cradle.

'5. In a surface grinding machine having a rotatable grinding wheel, a loading platform at one side of said wheel, a work carriage reciprocable over the loading platform and grinding Wheel, said carriage including a rigid cradle frame having side and end members spaced above the loading platform, a work supporting cradle, having side and end members, mounted in said frame for rotation about a horizontal axis extending in the direction of movement of the carriage across the central portion of the grinding wheel substantially parallel to and spaced above the surface of the loading platform, and means carried by the cradle side members for releasably clamping a work piece, resting on the loading platform within the confines of the cradle, to the cradle to be carried across the face of the grinding wheel upon reciprocation of the carriage, said means comprising longitudinally spaced bridge members adjustably secured at their ends to the side members of the cradle and means adjustably secured to the bridge members releasably engaging the end portions of the Work piece.

6. In a surface grinding machine having a rotatable grinding wheel, a loading platform at one side thereof, a work carriage reciprocable over the loading platform and grinding wheel, said carriage including a rigid cradle frame, having side and end members, a work supporting cradle having side and end members mounted in said frame for rotary movement relative thereto about a longitudinal axis, a spaced bridge member adjustably secured at its ends to the side members of the cradle or clamp having spherical clamping surfaces adjustably mounted on said bridge member a rod carrying a collar formed with a spherical surface adjustably engaged between said clamping surfaces and a plate adjustably secured to said rod, said plate being formed with a plurality of bolt receiving openings by which the plate may be secured to a work piece.

FRANCIS P. HEALY.

No references cited. 

